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Walsall v Sheffield Wed preview

Date published: Monday 24th August 2015 2:19

Walsall will assess the availability of Manny Smith ahead of the Owls visit but fellow defender Olly Lancashire remains out.
Smith missed last weekend’s heartbreaking late 1-1 draw at relegation rivals Chesterfield having taken a boot to the face as he went for a diving header in the club’s FA Cup second-round replay against Dagenham & Redbridge four days earlier.
He remains touch and go to face the high-flying Owls, although Lancashire (hamstring) definitely misses out once again having also sustained injury against the Daggers.
Striker Ryan Jarvis returns to contention having finally completed his three-match suspension.
Midfielder Kevan Hurst is also ready after getting a stretch of training under his belt following his comeback from a broken bone in his heel.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Gary Megson is keeping his goalkeeper selection under wraps for the away clash.
Stephen Bywater played the final game of his loan spell in last week’s 4-4 draw with Huddersfield and has returned to Derby, leaving Megson with a choice of three – Richard O’Donnell, Arron Jameson and Nicky Weaver.
O’Donnell has made 10 appearances this season, Jameson has yet to feature this term and Weaver played in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week after being been sidelined since the end of August with a knee injury.
Megson has no new injury or suspension problems but striker Gary Madine (broken toe), defender Lewis Buxton (hamstring) and midfielder James O’Connor (gashed shin) remain sidelined.
Bywater’s exit leaves Megson free to include all five loan players that remain in his squad – defender Danny Batth (Wolves), striker Sanchez Watt (Arsenal, winger Ben Marshall (Stoke) and defenders Miguel Llera (Blackpool) and James Tavernier (Newcastle).